President: Serbia will not accept imposed solution

Boris Tadic says he will ask international officials to prevent Pristina's threats and unilateral attempts to deploy Kosovo customs at the administrative line. "It is particularly worrying for us that those who are ready for such unilateral acts are ready to do so with the use of force," the Serbian president said during a news conference in Belgrade on Tuesday. President: Serbia will not accept imposed solution He added that "Pristina and those who support it" were responsible for the developments in Kosovo. "Deploying Kosovo customs at administrative crossings does not contribute to peace," he continued. "I am sending out the message in time that we will not accept such a solution under any kind of pressure," said Tadic. He added that the fact Serbia was informed about the intentions of the Kosovo Albanian authorities in Pristina "does not mean that Serbia is accepting such intentions". "We will do all we can so that this does not happen, but we must warn international institutions that should it happen, they will be taking over responsibility for any possible consequences," the president warned. Serbia is counting on all members of the international community who are dedicated to the rule of law, he continued, and added that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and UN and NATO chiefs "will be contacted with the aim to solve this problem". "I cannot understand international representatives who are playing with peace and people's lives by making irresponsible decisions - that is supreme irresponsibility and it is dangerous, therefore we will undertake all measures to stop that decision, through all international institutions." According to him, "the established methodology of experting pressure on Serbia" was very dangerous, and put the government in Belgrade "in a very difficult position". "There are clear red lines and we will stick to them, but we want compromise solutions, and nobody can accuse us of being the disruptive factor," he noted. Asked why Belgrade accepted the Kosovo customs stamp but not customs workers from Pristina, Tadic said it was the UN mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, that "guaranteed the neutrality of the stamp". According to him, by accepting the stamp that has UNMIK behind it Serbia did not accept Kosovo as independent, nor solutions for the functioning of customs activities on the administrative line. "That very fact does not mean that Kosovo had become an independent state. There are special customs regions that belong to one country without being integrated into a unified system, while still on the territory of some UN member-states," Tadic explained, and added that the ongoing EU-sponsored Belgrade-Pristina dialogue did not touch on the issues of customs and regulation of customs issues on the territory of Kosovo. The president also stressed that the NATO-led troops, KFOR, "cannot be a transport service" for the so-called Albanian customs officers from Pristina, but that the peacekeeping mission "must act in the interest of peace and security of all residents of Kosovo and Metohija". When reporters asked what steps Serbia intends to take if violence once again breaks out in Kosovo, Tadic refused to answer, saying only that he could not "make public every political step" that he plans to take. Boris Tadic (Tanjug) Concern over organ trafficking case Serbian President Boris Tadic on Tuesday also expressed concern that no commission has been formed yet to investigate the allegations of illegal trade in human organs perpetrated by ethnic Albanian KLA in Kosovo, and in northern Albania in 1999 and 2000. He pointed out that this increases doubts about the real reasons for the delay in initiating the investigation. Asked by reporters whether Serbia at any time in bilateral contacts with Tirana officially asked for exhumations in northern Albania or for an investigation into this matter, Tadic specified that the investigation of these allegations is not confined only to northern Albania, but also concerns Kosovo and other territories. He said that Serbia has never sent such a request to Albania, as investigation of trafficking in human organs is not a matter for national judicial systems. "This investigation must be carried out by international institutions, and not a national investigative body, and that is why we requested from the UN Security Council that an investigation be launched under the auspices of the world organization," Tadic said. He added that he is worried about time passing without a committee being formed to investigate. "Suspicion is growing that there is maybe some other reason behind the delay in initiating the investigation," Tadic said.

President: Serbia will not accept imposed solution

He added that "Priština and those who support it" were responsible for the developments in Kosovo.

"Deploying Kosovo customs at administrative crossings does not contribute to peace," he continued.

"I am sending out the message in time that we will not accept such a solution under any kind of pressure," said Tadić.

He added that the fact Serbia was informed about the intentions of the Kosovo Albanian authorities in Priština "does not mean that Serbia is accepting such intentions".

"We will do all we can so that this does not happen, but we must warn international institutions that should it happen, they will be taking over responsibility for any possible consequences," the president warned.

Serbia is counting on all members of the international community who are dedicated to the rule of law, he continued, and added that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and UN and NATO chiefs "will be contacted with the aim to solve this problem".

"I cannot understand international representatives who are playing with peace and people's lives by making irresponsible decisions - that is supreme irresponsibility and it is dangerous, therefore we will undertake all measures to stop that decision, through all international institutions."

According to him, "the established methodology of experting pressure on Serbia" was very dangerous, and put the government in Belgrade "in a very difficult position".

"There are clear red lines and we will stick to them, but we want compromise solutions, and nobody can accuse us of being the disruptive factor," he noted.

Asked why Belgrade accepted the Kosovo customs stamp but not customs workers from Priština, Tadić said it was the UN mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, that "guaranteed the neutrality of the stamp".

According to him, by accepting the stamp that has UNMIK behind it Serbia did not accept Kosovo as independent, nor solutions for the functioning of customs activities on the administrative line.

"That very fact does not mean that Kosovo had become an independent state. There are special customs regions that belong to one country without being integrated into a unified system, while still on the territory of some UN member-states," Tadić explained, and added that the ongoing EU-sponsored Belgrade-Priština dialogue did not touch on the issues of customs and regulation of customs issues on the territory of Kosovo.

The president also stressed that the NATO-led troops, KFOR, "cannot be a transport service" for the so-called Albanian customs officers from Priština, but that the peacekeeping mission "must act in the interest of peace and security of all residents of Kosovo and Metohija".

When reporters asked what steps Serbia intends to take if violence once again breaks out in Kosovo, Tadić refused to answer, saying only that he could not "make public every political step" that he plans to take.

Concern over organ trafficking case

Serbian President Boris Tadić on Tuesday also expressed concern that no commission has been formed yet to investigate the allegations of illegal trade in human organs perpetrated by ethnic Albanian KLA in Kosovo, and in northern Albania in 1999 and 2000.

He pointed out that this increases doubts about the real reasons for the delay in initiating the investigation.

Asked by reporters whether Serbia at any time in bilateral contacts with Tirana officially asked for exhumations in northern Albania or for an investigation into this matter, Tadić specified that the investigation of these allegations is not confined only to northern Albania, but also concerns Kosovo and other territories.

He said that Serbia has never sent such a request to Albania, as investigation of trafficking in human organs is not a matter for national judicial systems.

"This investigation must be carried out by international institutions, and not a national investigative body, and that is why we requested from the UN Security Council that an investigation be launched under the auspices of the world organization," Tadić said.

He added that he is worried about time passing without a committee being formed to investigate.

"Suspicion is growing that there is maybe some other reason behind the delay in initiating the investigation," Tadić said.